Ne-Yo and Booking Agent Ordered to Pay $156,000 Over Concert No-Show

The 'Closer' hitmaker and his booking agent Mike Esterman have to pay promoter Kenyohn Clark 156,000 dollars after the singer was a no-show at the planned 2008 New Year's Eve concert.

R&B singer Ne-Yo and his booking agent have been ordered to pay over $156,000 in damages to a disgruntled concert promoter after the star missed a scheduled show in America's Washington state in 2008. Promoter Kenyohn Clark sued the "Closer" hitmaker, real name Shaffer Smith, and his promoter Mike Esterman after the singer was a no-show at the planned 2008 New Year's Eve concert.

Clark claimed that Esterman misled him and failed to return a $95,000 deposit. The case went to trial in July and Maryland judge Philip Caroom ruled in favor of Clark on Tuesday, August 24, ordering Ne-Yo and his associate to pay up.

Ne-Yo testified that he knew in his "heart of hearts" the deposit should have been returned. Clark and bosses at Wet Entertainment LLC were initially seeking $500,000 from Ne-Yo and a further $1 million in damages from Esterman.